Manchester City have struck an early blow to Arsenal by signing Jeremy Monga, the 17-year-old winger from Leicester City, for a fee of £10m plus add-ons – a total that could reach £12.5m. The teenager, who turned 17 on Friday, has signed a five-year deal, dealing a significant setback to Premier League champions Arsenal, who had been leading the race for his signature and were seemingly close to completing a deal.
Monga, an England youth international, said: “For any young footballer, to become part of this amazing club is a dream come true. This has been the best club in England over the past 10 years. And it has also handed opportunities to players from the academy like Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly, which shows that the pathway is there.”
“Man City sign 17-year-old Jeremy Monga from Leicester for £10m plus add-ons, beating Arsenal to the deal.”
The move has been accelerated under new City head coach Enzo Maresca, who worked with Monga during his promotion-winning season in charge at Leicester in 2023-24. Maresca’s familiarity with the player proved decisive, as City gazumped Arsenal at the finish line. Brentford were also in the frame but lost out.
Monga joined Leicester at age eight and made his Premier League debut in April 2025 aged 15 years and 271 days, becoming the second-youngest player to feature in the competition. Last August, aged 16 years and 34 days, he became Leicester’s youngest starter in a Carabao Cup defeat to Huddersfield, and three days later scored against Preston to become the Championship’s youngest goalscorer, breaking a record set by Jude Bellingham. He made 37 appearances for the Foxes, including seven as a substitute, before Leicester’s relegation to League One.
Born in Coventry, Monga has represented England up to the under-19 level. He can play on both flanks and is equally adept with either foot.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be bitterly disappointed after his side were outmanoeuvred by City, having been in a strong position to land the teenager. The £12.5m fee, while substantial for a 17-year-old, is not unprecedented: Tottenham paid £30m for 18-year-old Archie Gray in 2024, Manchester United paid £27m for 18-year-old Luke Shaw 12 years ago, and Arsenal themselves paid up to £12.5m for 16-year-old Theo Walcott in 2006.